Between a quarter and a fifth of young people in the UK now suffer from a mental disorder. One in four adults are prescribed psychiatric medication. These figures reveal an extraordinary expansion in the language and labelling of mental health — but they tell us little about the lived experience of those seeking help, or about what it truly means to heal. In this episode of the podcast, Dr Gavin Francis will explore the tangled history of psychiatry and our evolving understanding of the mind. From mood disorders and trauma to anxiety and addiction, he will examine the plethora of forces which shape these conditions. Join Gavin as he turns how we imagine mental health on its head, inviting us to see the mind not as fragile, but as resilient — a dynamic, adaptive system best approached not with rigid labels and protocols, but with curiosity, kindness, humility, and hope.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices